Method and apparatus for making flat fabric



N v. 29, 1955 A. RUNTON ET AL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLAT FABRIC 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed-July 29, 1954 I NV E N To R5 4554 /E A FUN ro/v EWA/er ,4 5664 77uC/( BY 2 of M.

ATTORNEY Nov. 29,1955 A. RUNTON ET AL 2,725,090 V METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLAT FABRIC 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 29 1954 INVENTORS A554 /5 A. A a/v ro/v zwner M 5/704 r aag BY WXM ATTORNEY Nov. 29, 1955 1.. A. RUNTON ET AL 2,725,090

METHQD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FLAT FABRIC Filed Jul y 29, 1954 I 5 Sheets-sheaf. 3

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ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD AND. APPARATUS FOR- MAKINGFLAT FABRIC Leslie A. Runton, Harrison, and. Ewart H-. Shattuck, Ardsley, N. Y., assignors toAlexander Smith, Incorporatetl, White Plains,.N. Y., a corporation. of New York Application July 29,1954, SerialzN'o. 446,445 1 2 Claims.v (Cl. 154.1.75)

The apparatus in accordance with this invention includes a stationary vertical drum having a circumference equal to the width of fabric to be produced. The:warpwise yarns, such as jute or cotton,-.are drawn from: a circular' creel which is disposed around the drum andare spaced in parallel relationship around the, periphery of medium. They are fed upwardly along the surface of thedrum by a suitable take-up means. I

A pair of rotatable rings are disposed aroundthe drum in vertical spaced relationship.- These-rings carrycones or packages of yarn such as wool, cotton, or synthetic filaments, such as rayon, nylon or the like which are to be included in the fabric. The fillerwise yarns are wrapper around the upwardly advancing warpwise yarns by the rotating rings. If the rings rotate in opposite directions a pair of crossed helical layers will be wrapped around the warpwise yarns.

A strip of thermoplastic resin from a roll mounted on the lower ring is wrapped around the cylinder of warpwise yarns in advance of the first layer of fillerwise yarns and a second strip of the same material is wrapped around the first layer of fillerwise yarns in advance of the second layer.

Additional layers may be built up to the desired thick ness of fabric. The wrapped layers of yarn and resin are then passed under a heater which heats the resin to a temperature to soften the same and cause the resin layers to be absorbed by the crossed yarns and to permanently secure the same together.

The fabric in cylindrical form is then split and rolled as desired.

The novel features which are characteristic of this invention will be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which a specific embodiment thereof has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the slitting station;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 5

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of the product before heat sealing, with the various layers broken away to show the construction thereof.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the apparatus is shown in Fig. 1 as comprising a vertical drum 10 mount- 2,725,090 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 'ice ed on-a base 11. A creel 1'2 carrying-a set of packages 13 of warpwise yarn is disposed around the base 11.-'

A pair of stationary rings- 15' and 16, supported by brackets-17- carry rotatingrings 18 and 19 which carry yarn packages 20 and 21.

A- bank of radiant heaters 25'is mounted in a housing 26 disposed. arou'ndthe drum 10 above the ring zones and supported by the brackets 17.

A rotary knife 27 (Figs. 1 and 2) is mounted on a pedestal 28above the=top of the drum 10-and driven by amotor 29 to'slit thecylinderv of fabric as it is advanced by take-up rolls 30. The opened fabric is then fed over a guide rol1-31 to a finishing station.

Referringto-Fi'gs. 3 to. 5, a guide ring 32 receives the warpwise yarns 33 from the packages 13 and spaces the yarns uniformly around the outer surface of the drum 10.

The lower ring- 18Jcarries a rack'34 which is driven by a gear--35 actuated through a variable-speed drive'36'by a motor 37. A hand wheel 38 is connected to vary'the ratio of the drive 36.

The ring 18' carries a bracket 40-which supports a roll 41 of a-thermoplastic resin adhesive in-a position-to wrap an adhesive strip" 46 around the yarns 33 as the ring 18 is rotated. The thermoplastic strip may beof any heat softening-material such'as polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene, plasticized polystyrene, a polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, copolymer, or the like.

Yarns 42 from the cones 20 on the ring 18 arefed through-guides 43 on a guide ring 44which is supported on ring- 18 by-posts 45. The yarns 42 are wrapped around the plastic-strips 41 *ina helical-band the pitch of which is determined bythe-rate ofupward feed of the yarns 33 and the rate of rotation of the ring 18. The ratios are adjusted to form a continuous layer of the yarns 42 over the warpwise yarns 33.

The ring 18 also carries a bracket 47 which supports a roll 48 of thermoplastic tape similar to the roll 41 above described. The roll 48 is positioned to wrap a strip 49 of said adhesive around the layer of yarn 42 as the ring 18 rotates.

The upper ring 19 carries a rack 52 which is driven by a gear 53 actuated through a variable speed drive 54 by a motor 55. A hand wheel 56 is connected to vary the ratio of the drive 54. If the motors 37 and 55 are synchronous motors the rings 18 and 19 are automatically driven at a fixed ratio which is determined by the adjustment of the hand wheels 38 and 56. The motors may be locked together or the drives 36 and 54 may be mechanically coupled and driven by a single motor so that a constant ratio is maintained after the adjustments have been made.

The roll 48 may be carried by the ring 19 instead of by the ring 18 depending upon the desired direction of the wrap.

Yarns 56 from the cones or packages 21 on the ring 19 are fed through guides 57 on a guide ring 58 which is supported on ring 19 by posts 59.

The yarns 56 are wrapped around the adhesive strip 49 as the ring 19 is rotated. The rings 18 and 19 are driven in opposite directions to lay the yarns 42 and 56 .in crossed helices the pitch of which can be varied by adjustment of the wheels 38 and 55. The pitch of the two yarn layers can be the same or dilferent, as desired. The number of yarn packages carried by the respective rings should be such that a. continuous layer is formed by the rotating carriers.

As the superimposed layers of yarn with the interposed layers of thermoplastic tape as shown in Fig. 6 are passed under the heaters 25, the thermoplastic resinous material is softened and absorbed by the crossed yarns substantially instantaneously and adhesively secures the crossed yarns together at their crossovers. The layer ing a fabric composed of a layer of warpwise yarns 33,

a first layer of fillerwise yarns 42 crossing the warpwise yarns 33 at a slope, and a second layer of fillerwise yarns 56 crossing the yarns 42 at an opposite slope.

This fabric cylinder is now slit by the knife 27, opened up and fed over the guide roll 31 to be rolled or finished as desired.

Obviously the number of layers can be increased as desired by providing additional carrier rings to superimpose additional layers of thermoplastictape and yarn.

The yarn layers can be secured by adhesive of other types which can be rolled or sprayed onto the yarn layers as shown in copending application Serial No; 382,962, filed September 29, 1953, now Patent No. 2,698,044, or the yarns may contain a thermoplastic adhesive or fibers or filaments of thermoplastic material in which case they are secured by heat as in copending application Serial No. 404,630, filed January 18, 1954, now Patent No. 2,698,045. Such sealing means may be used herein in place of the thermoplastic ribbon above described.

Fabrics of the above type are suitable for upholstery or -for floor coverings and maybe made in any desired thickness depending upon the size of the yarns used and the number of layers built up. The fabrics can be backsized by usual carpet backsizings or may be attached to a woven or a non-Woven backing or underlay.

Variations and modifications will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for making a flat, non-Woven fabric which comprises a stationary vertical drum, a creel disposed around said drum at one end thereof carrying packages of yarn for feeding first yarns axially along said drum in parallel spaced relationship around the periphery thereof, a pair of rotatable carrier rings spaced along said drum and extending around the periphery thereof, yarn packages carried by said rings, guide means laying a band of yarns from said ring packages around the first yarns on said drum, means on at least one of said rings carrying a roll of thermoplastic resin tape in a position to be wrapped around the first yarns on said drum in advance of said band of yarns as the ring rotates, drive means connected to rotate said rings in opposite directions, heating means disposed around said drum beyond said rings to heat the layers of yarn to a temperature to soften the thermoplastic resin and thereby secure the yarns together at crossover points to form a cylindrical fabric, a pair of take-up rolls disposed beyond said drum and engaging the resultant fabric to feed the yarn from said creel and the formed fabric along said drum, cutting means disposed between said drum and said take-up rolls to slit the cylindrical fabric and guide means guiding the slit fabric opened up into fiat form to said take-up rolls.

2. In an apparatus as set forth in claim 1 means for varying the relative speeds of rotation of said rings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ahier et al; June 8, 

